‘Go Veggie’ promotion of newly developed products being met with great responses from retailers and consumers alike

by Christina DiMartino | March 14, 2013

“We have exhibited at the New England Produce Council Expo often, and it is important to us because it has a more mature market,” Jamie Schapiro, director of marketing for Galaxy Nutritional Foods, headquartered in North Kingstown, RI, told The Produce News.

“The focus for us at the expo will be to explain to visitors that Galaxy Foods is now ‘GO Veggie!’,” he added.

The company launched its newly developed “GO Veggie!” formulas of lactose-free and dairy-free products, wrapped them up in highly graphic, brightly colored packaging with easy to understand wording, and launched the line at the Produce Marketing Association Fresh Summit in October 2012. It features both of its lines under its new brand, “GO Veggie!”

The newly developed ‘GO Veggie!’ formulas of lactose-free and dairy-free products, wrapped up in highly graphic, brightly colored packaging with easy to understand wording.“Our products are represented in every major grocery store in New England,” said Mr. Schapiro. “As the leader in the cheese alternative industry, it is important for us to get these new items in front of produce professionals. And we will be sampling the great new items during the show. People are always amazed at how delicious the products are.”

Bob Peterson, regional sales manager for the Northeast for “GO Veggie!” will be at the show to greet visitors, along with the company’s New England broker, Johnson O’Hare. Mr. Schapiro said that the company has worked with Johnson O’Hare for a very long time. It covers New England and other regions for the firm.

“We will be featuring and sampling our lactose-free ‘GO Veggie!’ slices in our green packaging at the expo,” said Mr. Schapiro. “We began shipping the reformulated product in its newly designed green packaging in 2012. The goal in our promotional efforts is to demonstrate the difference in how the product now tastes. People are always quite amazed at how delicious the new products are.”

The other product that “GO Veggie!” will showcase at the NEPC Expo is its dairy-free shreds in Mozzarella and Mexican flavors.

Mr. Schapiro said that these new products are not easily available in produce departments as yet, so the expo will give produce professionals an opportunity to see and to taste them.

The company’s dairy-free line is in purple packaging, and its lactose free line with casein is in green packaging.

“The ‘GO Veggie!’ lines of cheese alternatives meet the needs of today’s consumers,” said Mr. Schapiro. “The dairy-free line is for parents and caretakers and their children who cannot eat dairy products. The lactose free line is for people who do not eat meat protein, simply want to reduce their cholesterol levels or just want to feel better.”

Conventional American cheese, he added, has a lot of saturated fat. But the “GO Veggie!” line has no cholesterol.

The lactose, or green, line of products is in stores today. The company now wants people to know that the old label “Veggie” is now “GO Veggie!”

“We have an entire line of products that are perfect for people who are dairy free and/or vegan,” said Mr. Schapiro. “The new packaging is cleaner and easier to understand. We have clearly delineated the difference between the two lines.”

Retailers, he added, who have the lines available in their stores are reporting back to “GO Veggie!” with highly positive response.